John McClane was intended to be the antidote to the “invincible” action hero archetype, but later Die Hard sequels completely missed this point. Die Hard was based on Nothing Last Forever by Roderick Thorp, a sequel to his novel The Detective. Since Frank Sinatra already played the titular role in a 1968 movie adaptation, he had to be offered Die Hard first. Since he had retired from acting by then, he swiftly turned it down, with everyone from Richard Gere to Arnold Schwarzenegger passing on Die Hard. Desperate for any kind of name, Moonlighting star Bruce Willis was cast, with the screenplay subsequently playing up the character’s humor.
According to Script Apart, co-writer Steven E. de Souza intended to create a more humane action hero compared to Rambo or Commando – the latter of which the screenwriter himself penned. Compared to the types of characters played by Arnie or Sly, Willis’ McClane bled, showed fear and even cried, which is why he connected with audiences. The same formula was applied to Die Hard 2, but as the sequels progressed, they became more outlandish. By 2013’s A Good Day To Die Hard – which nearly crossed over with 24 – he was hanging off helicopters and jumping through windows with ease – becoming the very character he was intended to subvert.
How The Die Hard Series Lost Track Of Its Own Formula
There are several factors in this change, but Die Hard gradually shedding its own formula might be the biggest. In the first two entries, McClane is both geographically and emotionally isolated, and while he doesn’t want to save the day, he’s given no other choice. By Die Hard With A Vengeance and later outings, he’s running around entire cities like New York or Moscow causing as much mayhem as he prevents. This created a need for larger setpieces too, so impressive as Live Free Or Die Hard’s freeway chase finale might be in another blockbuster, it feels out of place in a supposed Die Hard movie.
Die Hard’s McClane was relatable because he pushed through his many fears, like heights, to succeed. This personal element felt all but absent by Live Free Or Die Hard, where the character was written and portrayed as a stoic, one-liner-spouting action hero who rushed into every confrontation. Considering viewers saw McClane evolve over five films, it’s natural he would change in that time, but the character in the first and last outings feel like two different men. The changing face of action films, the need to create more elaborate action and perhaps Willis’ unwillingness to repeat past performances were other contributing elements.
Die Hard Shouldn’t Be Rebooted
Following A Good Day To Die Hard and Red 2 – which killed interest in Red 3 – Willis scaled back his work in mainstream movies. Instead, he focused on straight-to-digital movies like Cosmic Sin or Precious Cargo, where his roles amounted to extended cameos. In March 2022, the actor’s family released a statement revealing he had been diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects the part of the brain relating to how people understand written or spoken language, and that he was retiring. This brought the star’s long career to a sad end, with his final films revealed to be Willis working through his condition to earn money for his family.
While Willis was once attached to a Die Hard prequel/sequel dubbed McClane – where he would have split the role with an actor playing his younger self – that was canceled in 2019. No new Die Hard movies have been announced as in development since then, and really, no more should be. In the same way the Dirty Harry movies are inseparable from Clint Eastwood or Indiana Jones from Harrison Ford, Die Hard IS Bruce Willis. The actor understood what the original needed and created an iconic character. Out of respect for the retired star, the best option is to let the McClane saga end.
